Friday, October 2, 2009

Words Words Everywhere Words

As I was going through my usual routine this morning of checking emails, I got to my word-of-the-day from Urban Dictionary. Today's little nugget is "hinky" meaning something as yet undefinable is wrong, out of place; not quite right. All I could think of was, what a great word. It's a quirky five letters, seemingly insignificant but put together, a word that actually says a whole lot. It also got me thinking about some other great words that just say the right thing. On my list of interesting and fun words have to be epiphany, catalyst and bogus. Perfect expressions, perfect words that used in everyday language really say so much more.

Think about how many times in a day you use a really great word. Words, like personalities, are expressions of ourselves. People often know what kind of person you are or have some insights into your character by the words you use. With this in mind, challenge yourself to listen carefully to the words people use. For instance, the guy that is constantly pontificating on some mundane subject is no doubt a total blowhard. At the same time, the gal who can't seem to get keep descriptive adjectives in check - um, describing a guy, or parts of his anatomy as "yummy" is a little crass - truly shows how little class she has. The words people use are definite clues to what kind of individual you might be dealing with. But go a step further and think about the words you use. Does this seem like a futile exercise? Maybe, but my guess is that you'll probably learn something - not only some new words, but maybe some understanding about those around you. Who knows? You might even find out a few things about yourself.

Words Words Everywhere Words

As I was going through my usual routine this morning of checking emails, I got to my word-of-the-day from Urban Dictionary. Today's little nugget is "hinky" meaning something as yet undefinable is wrong, out of place; not quite right. All I could think of was, what a great word. It's a quirky five letters, seemingly insignificant but put together, a word that actually says a whole lot. It also got me thinking about some other great words that just say the right thing. On my list of interesting and fun words have to be epiphany, catalyst and bogus. Perfect expressions, perfect words that used in everyday language really say so much more.

Think about how many times in a day you use a really great word. Words, like personalities, are expressions of ourselves. People often know what kind of person you are or have some insights into your character by the words you use. With this in mind, challenge yourself to listen carefully to the words people use. For instance, the guy that is constantly pontificating on some mundane subject is no doubt a total blowhard. At the same time, the gal who can't seem to get keep descriptive adjectives in check - um, describing a guy, or parts of his anatomy as "yummy" is a little crass - truly shows how little class she has. The words people use are definite clues to what kind of individual you might be dealing with. But go a step further and think about the words you use. Does this seem like a futile exercise? Maybe, but my guess is that you'll probably learn something - not only some new words, but maybe some understanding about those around you. Who knows? You might even find out a few things about yourself.